Shelton State Community College

Shelton State Community College (SSCC), located in Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, is a multi-campus institution entering its fourth decade in Alabama‘s community college system.

Shelton State Community College was established on January 1, 1979, by resolution of the Alabama State Board of Education (BoE). That act combined two existing institutions: Shelton State Technical College, which opened in 1952, and the Tuscaloosa branch campus of Brewer State Junior College, an institution whose main campus was located in Fayette, Fayette County. In 1994, Shelton State Community College consolidated with C. A. Fredd State Technical College, another public two-year college located in Tuscaloosa, which had been recognized as one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). That institution was named for its first president. Shelton State Community College remains committed to the specific HBCU mission of promoting educational access and opportunity in a culturally diverse community. The college currently provides a variety of offerings on both the Martin and the C. A. Fredd campuses.

The college is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award two-year associate degrees in arts and sciences programs designed for students who intend to transfer to four-year colleges or universities to complete their degrees. The college also offers two certificate programs of 30 to 60 semester hours in length and 9 to 29 semester hours in length. The applied science degree and certificate programs are designed for students who plan to seek employment based upon the competencies and skills attained through those programs of study, rather than matriculate to other institutions.

The school also hosts the West Alabama Center for Workforce Development. This agency promotes job training and business expansion efforts among Shelton State Community College, business and industry, and workforce agencies in west Alabama. In collaboration with the Region 3 Workforce Development Council and the Governor‘s Office of Workforce Development, the center coordinates programs that provide instruction of basic skills to entry level workers as identified by local business and industry for entry-level jobs in their companies. The school also provides adult education classes, in both traditional and online settings, that offer students in a five-county service area. The school also provides General Educational Development (GED) and Career Readiness Credential preparation, graduation exam assistance, and skills remediation services at no cost to students as well as English as a Second Language (ESL) and Project Literacy United States (PLUS) tutoring.

Finally, SSCC offers a wide variety of personal enrichment classes through its Community Education and Larry Mund Lifelong Learning programs. Courses include instruction in dance, academic enrichment for children, fencing, computer skills, floral design, carpentry, and exercise classes.

Participation in student life and campus activities is also encouraged at Shelton State. A member of the Alabama Community College Conference, SSCC annually receives state, regional, and national recognition in baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, and co-ed cheerleading. In 2019, the cheerleading squad won the Junior College National Championships for the 12th time, and other athletic teams have won more than 25 state championships. Other student organizations include Shelton Ambassadors, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Ecology Club, the Courier student newspaper, and a fencing club.

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